The Promise of a Lifetime
by aversive5599
Summary: "I will." Sasuke smiles faintly,"It's a promise of a lifetime." Set during Boruto ep 63 after Naruto's capture by Momoshiki.


PROMISE OF A LIFETIME

Summary: When Sakura asks Sasuke to make a promise of a lifetime.

Set during the events of Boruto ep 63 when Naruto is captured.

When the smoke clears Boruto has been knocked unconscious, Sarada is barely standing…

And the seventh Hokage has been _captured._

Sasuke's Susanoo is still there but the strain is clear. Sweat trickles down the side of his face and the Susanoo tremors a little.

Momoshiki scoops up Naruto as Sarada hopelessly watches and expects her father do something, _anything_ but he stands his ground holding the purple chakra warrior in place to protect them just as he had promised his best friend.

The air crackles as Momoshiki creates a portal above the ruins of the Chunnin stadium. Rocks start gravitating towards the portal and the very ground beneath them shakes making Sasuke's Susanoo flicker. Kinshki using the opportunity turns towards them raising his axe and slamming it onto the purple chakra.

The Susanoo cracks slightly.

"You won't be able to hide for long!" The white horned creature roars and slams his axe again chipping away at the Susanoo making Sasuke stagger a little. Kinishki smirks knowing that the Uchiha wouldn't be able to hold it up for the third time.

He raises the axe and brings it down in a deadly arc. Sarada shuts her eyes waiting for the inevitable impact but nothing happens.

Pink flashes in front of her eyes as Sakura Uchiha holds the axe in between her palms, her feet digging into the ground.

"If you touch my family I will _break you_." Sakura's eyes glint fiercely.

Even Kinshki who is three times her size falters at the sheer strength displayed by the petite woman not only in the literal sense but also in the sheer defiance and poison with which she looks at him.

Sakura uses this to her advantage, underestimating her is the biggest mistakes one could make and Kinishki has done exactly that. Without blinking Sakura jerks the axe away from him throwing it upwards so that it's sucked in to the portal well out of the otsuki's reach.

Kinishki wastes no time in throwing a punch which Sakura counters with a punch of her own. The noise reverberates through the arena and Sakura is pushed back several feet while Kinishki slams against the opposite wall.

Momoshiki isn't in a better state trying to fight the flash of purple and black that was Hinata Uzumaki. Trying to keep the portal open as well as Naruto's limp body away from Hinata was irksome especially since her sheer perseverance to get her husband back was unparalleled.

"Kinshiki." Momoshiki's voice boomed,"Deal with her."

Although the axe wielding Ōtsutsuki would have much rather settled his debts with The Uchiha's he has no choice but to turn his attention towards Hinata.

"Leave my husband." Hinata Uzumaki is brave, fearless and fiercely protective but she's outmatched and unlike Sakura she doesn't have the element of surprise. The fight ends quickly and brutally. Just as the killing blow is about to be delivered Sakura slams her palms together creating a shockwave in the air that pushes Kinshki back.

Before he can recover a large bird made of nothing but ink and paper slams into him pushing him further back and Sai lands protectively in front of Hinata next to Sakura.

Kinshki eyes the two of them as Hinata also struggles to get up her husband's name on her lips.

"We've got what we wanted." Momshiki announces, "Let's leave."

Kinishki jumps up grabbing Naruto from Momoshiki and disappears into the portal.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cries struggling to get up, to get him back. The pain is too much though and Hinata's eyes shut and she slumps into the ground.

The air picks up faster, sharper, with a flick of Momoshiki's hand all the debris swirls in a dangerous hurricane.

"Sai!" Sakura shouts,"Get her out of here."

Sai is quick to follow her command lifting Hinata on an ink lion and dashing out.

The last Ōtsutsuki disappears through the portal and the hurricane of debris falls down sharply.

Right at Sakura.

"MAMA!" Sarada screams and Sasuke's susannoo flickers but Sakura doesn't falter raising her hand in a punch that shatters all of it to dust.

For one second nobody moves. Sarada tries to comprehend everything that happened in a span of mere hours. How had it all turned into such a mess?

Sasuke's Susanoo flickers faintly until it's disappeared completely and Sasuke falls on his knees spitting out blood.

"PAPA!" She yells terrified. Her father raises his hand,still hunched over,"I'm fine Sarada. Just stay there."

Sakura's made her way to them and with a quick squeeze on Sasuke's shoulder she quickly hugs her daughter before scanning Sarada with her green eyes "Sarada take Boruto to the hospital, now."

"But Papa-"

"Your papa is fine Sarada." Sakura says smiling,"It takes a lot more than this to take him down. Right now your teammates need you. Go."

Sarada understands the urgency in her mother's eyes and the slight tremor in her voice. This wasn't the time to argue and Sarada hauls Boruto out of the ruined arena only turning back once to see her mother gently taking her fathers face in her palms and pressing her forehead against his.

When Sarada is out of sight Sakura sighs,"You're hurt.'

She pulls away and he looks at her without faltering as she gently wipes the blood off his lips,"Nothing you can't heal."

She smiles faintly,"That's true." Her hands glow green, green as her eyes and her eyebrows furrow as she starts healing him.

The village had lost their Hokage but Sasuke had lost his best friend and Sakura had lost the closest thing she had to a brother.

"Don't blame yourself." Sakura says finally,"Naruto's always been impossibly brave and stupid and if anyone can get through this, it's him."

"I know." Sasuke says gently pushing her hand away even though she hadn't finished,"You should go, I'm sure there are many people who require healing. I'm fine now, I'll recover."

Sakura doesn't move though,"You're going to go after him."

It wasn't a question just a fact.

"And I know that I can't come." She continues. Her duty lies in the village treating the injured and even if she hates being left behind, despises it really Sakura would not abandon her duty to the village.

How else would she be able to look Naruto in the eye when he came back?

"So please Sasuke-kun." Her jade eyes meet his mismatched ones,"Let me do whatever I can to make sure that you get him back. Promise me that, _You will_ get him back."

A promise in which they both come back to her. Both of them come back home safe.

"I'll bring him home." Sasuke smiles faintly,"It's a promise of a lifetime."

On the rooftop Sarada insists on coming and Sasuke's features soften as he bends down. Sarada reminded him fiercely of everything good he's had in his life. Sakura's ferocity, Naruto's determination, Itachi's kindness and his mother's smile.

She's an Uchiha like no other.

He tells her that she is needed here to protect the village. She's hesitant at first but when she understands what he's not spoken out loud she nods.

 _Be here for your Mama._

He stands up turning around to see Sakura. She doesn't throw herself at him, hug him tearfully and beg him to come back even though some part of her desperately wants to.

But she knows she doesn't have to. She conveys all of that with a single glance and Sasuke understands every word she doesn't say out loud.

His eyes soften, _I love you._

Her smile is the last thing she sees as he steps through the portal.

 _I know._

I feel so angry that Boruto has such a great opportunity to add so many scenes but just fails to deliver. Well none the less I hope you like it.


End file.
